A lot of new users on BodySpace see it for the interactive wonder it is today, but veteran users like Zane—who has nearly 48,000 friends—felt its growing pains. But, like all new users, Zane had to deal with negativity from family members and friends who told him his goals were a joke.

Along the way Zane built a killer physique and established himself as one of the heroes of BodySpace, one of the people who overcame that negative nonsense and helps support every new member try to accomplish the same. He's not a superstar, not a pro model. He's just a guy with the dedication to achieve his goals and a platform to share them.

Q

What led you to the decision that you needed to get in shape?

I was scrawny, unhealthy, and sick of it! I discovered that I was pre-diabetic and my life-long battle with hypoglycemia was rapidly worsening. I found out that a large part of my unhappiness and unpleasant feelings were directly attributed to my diet. After seeing a physician and receiving an alarming wake-up call that my diet and lifestyle needed to dramatically be changed, I decided to do just that—embrace the challenge, do what needed to be done, and start living a healthy and fit lifestyle!

You only weighed 120 pounds when you started lifting in 2003. Ten years later, what would you say was the biggest contributing factor to your growth? Undeniably the nutritional component contributed most to the muscle gaining equation! I've always viewed my progress in health and fitness though four different lenses. This made the daunting challenge I had ahead of me seem much more manageable and obtainable. Here are the four categories I broke it down into:

Training

Nutrition

Rest

Supplementation

All four aspects are essential to move toward your goals—whether it's adding or reducing size—but nutrition proved most beneficial and effective for me!

I made great progress with nutrition because I started off with a poor diet. I routinely ate lots of junk food throughout the day. I didn't know how to read a nutritional label, and macronutrients and micronutrients were like a foreign language to me. Reflecting back, I recall some days where I'd end up consuming the majority of my calories from carbohydrates. My point here—I knew next to nothing about proper nutrition.

How did you discover BodySpace?

The ironic thing is that I found Bodybuilding.com when it first launched and I grew with it. I learned everything I knew about health, fitness, diet, supplements, and exercise from it. As the website grew, so did I. I was surfing around the website and forums when BodySpace launched. I started using it and never looked back. And, best of all, it kept improving and becoming more user-friendly and addictive with time. Today, it's so interactive and has so many new features—I absolutely love the capabilities for designing and tracking workouts, and I'm addicted to the FitBoard.

"One of my biggest goals has been to help others, spread my story, and inspire/lead by example, and that's exactly what BodySpace and Bodybuilding.com have allowed me to do."

What would it mean to you to win your IFBB pro card?

It certainly would be amazing! However, I can honestly say getting a pro card couldn't surpass the feeling, prestige, and honor of being selected as a 2013 BodySpace Spokesmodel Finalist and joining the Bodybuilding.com TEAM! It still would be a dream come true to get an IFBB pro card, though.

How do you think BodySpace has helped you reach your goals?

One of my biggest goals has been to help others, spread my story, and inspire/lead by example, and that's exactly what BodySpace and Bodybuilding.com have allowed me to do. Yes, the tracking tools, motivation, camaraderie, and interactions with others help me out a tremendous amount, but the people who contact me on a day-to-day basis for help in all aspects of life is humbling. That's what I've always wanted to aspire to. I wanted to motivate and help others overcome their challenges in life and pay it forward the same way others have done for me in the past.

Additionally, BodySpace has done wonders for my muscle gaining and strength goals through the programs it offers and the sense of accountability that is created! I am just about to finish Jim Stoppani's ShortCut to Size program and I'm pleased with the gains I've made. Having the email notifications and reminders, the support of BodySpace members, and your personalized calendar make you feel so accountable!

Bodybuilders have differing goals. Some people want to lean down, and others want to gain muscle. Can those goals co-exist?

I personally believe they can with the caveat that that method may not be most advantageous for everyone! If you have the patience, time, and persistence, I firmly believe that lean size can be added with time—I've personally experienced it. However, it's much quicker for an individual to add quality size if they're willing to cycle between growing and leaning cycles.

What is your favorite feature on BodySpace?

The ability to connect with others, design and track workouts, and the FitBoard! It's a 3-way tie.

What is your favorite muscle group to train and can you give us a sample workout?

Chest is my favorite! I love the feeling of an amazing chest pump. Here is an example of a chest workout that always gets my blood pumping.

Push-ups - Round 1

Push-ups - Round 2

How on earth does a person get nearly 50,000 BodySpace friends?

It's an answer that involves multiple explanations. I think the biggest contributing factor is the fact that I offer my guidance to others—I actively encourage people to contact me for help. I routinely check my inbox and do the best I can to respond to all inquires within a 24-hour period. I sincerely want to help others and I take my time to thoroughly answer everyone who reaches out to me. I know what it's like to feel like you're eons away from reaching a goal and if I can help one person combat that feeling then I feel truly accomplished!

"I know what it's like to feel like you're eons away from reaching a goal and if I can help one person combat that feeling then I feel truly accomplished!"

I believe that offering help is what led to my large following. Additionally, I've been a long-time and active member. I've been with Bodybuilding.com and BodySpace since they launched. BodySpace is my favorite social media platform and I'm on it daily making updates, tracking workouts, posting pictures, distributing information via video and BodyBlogs, and posting to the FitBoard! I absolutely love interacting with fellow fitness lovers. Everyone is so up-beat, optimistic, and enthusiastic about fitness and health. I believe they see that in me as well and want to surround themselves with like-minded people and positivity and therefore become my friend.

I = CAN

I offer my friends and followers a systematic and user-friendly approach to conquer their respective challenges and problems:

I = CAN Impact = Consistency + Aspirations + Never give up

What training mistakes did you make when you first started?

My biggest training mistake when I first began was my failure to train all body parts. I think this is common among many newbie gym-goers. I only trained chest, biceps, triceps, and abs—and I'd train those same body parts five days a week. I had no clue what I was doing. My diet and nutrition program were nothing to brag about either!

Ultimately, my biggest mistake was a lack of appropriate education!

Do you ever find that your goals conflict? How do you choose what to focus on?

I do, and I have to continually remind myself to look at my long-term goals, which certainly isn't always easy.

I always want to add size, but like most people, I always enjoy being lean. It's difficult and time-inefficient to concurrently add size while staying lean. To overcome this conflict, I set short-term goals of smaller gains that allow me to minimize body fat accumulation while moving toward my long-term goals of adding a lot of size.

I'd be happy to discuss this process in greater detail with anyone if they'd like to send me a private message. Or maybe I'll write a BodyBlog about it!

SUPPLEMENT EXTRAS

What has the biggest impact on muscle growth and recovery?

It's entirely too difficult to pick just one factor that has the biggest impact on muscle growth and recovery! You undeniably need to place proper attention on rest, sleep, nutrition, training, supplements, and how they interact with each other. I began to get my greatest results when I devoted more time and energy to diet, but that doesn't mean you can skimp on the other factors.

What type of music do you listen to in the gym?

More often than not, I do not listen to music. Exercising gives me some quiet time to think. When I do, I typically put on a variety station. Here are five songs that have always managed to pump me up in the gym:

"No Easy Way Out" (Rocky Soundtrack) - by Robert Tepper

"No Control" - by Bad Religion

"I Need a Doctor" - by Dr. Dre

"I Give It All" - by Rise Against

"Best of You" - by Foo Fighters

What is your favorite way to spend a 'rest' day?

Rest what...what's that?! Just kidding! I like to make my rest day active ones. I enjoying going for hikes with my wife and daughter, playing basketball, stretching, kayaking—any activity that really keeps me active and moving! Be outside is certainly a big plus!

In addition to rest days, I've recently started seeing a chiropractor and getting regular massages to help my muscles recover. And I just got my very own foam roller!

Someone will read this feature and consider joining BodySpace. Why should that person become a part of the largest fitness social network? I think the question should be "why shouldn't they join?" They really have nothing to loss and TONS to gain! The motivation and support is endless and contagious!

It's an easy, fun, and convenient way to stay on track with your goals and build great relationships that can keep you accountable with your goals!

I regularly encourage people to just give it a try because I know once they do they'll be hooked!

Have you downloaded the new BodySpace app? Whatcha think?

Yes, and I love it! It's such a perfect way to follow your workout program, upload new photos quick and conveniently, and keep track of your workouts and assess your progress. Having the BodySpace App in your pocket is priceless for more reasons than one!

Do you stick to one type of training, or do you vary your exercise attacks?

I do my very best to switch it up because of the body's remarkable ability to adapt to the stress and challenges you inflict on it. I don't have a set time schedule for changing my routine, however. I try to remain vigilant of my results and remain open to being dynamic and switching things up when I hit plateaus! It's a never-ending challenge, complex puzzle, and in a sense, one giant science project—it's one of the many reasons I love it so much!

Are you a member of any BodyGroups? Are they still effective?

I am a member of BodyGroups, but they aren't as effective as the day-to-day interactions I have with my friends and follows. They definitely serve their purpose, but the accountability and motivation from my friends and followers has been more beneficial for me.

"One day I want to be one of those old grandpas that look buff and much younger than they really are!"

Do you ever think about quitting?

No, I can't image a life that isn't filled with health and fitness! One day I want to be one of those old grandpas that look buff and much younger than they really are!

Has BodySpace changed much since you joined? How so?

Yes, it's changed a ton and for the better. The way you build/track workouts, the pictures and video tutorials, and the ease of interaction with others has all changed tremendously over time. And the addition of the FitBoard is just so perfect for motivation, information, recipes, inspiration, or just a good laugh!

How can your fans find you on other social media?

Other than your physical health and appearance, how else has living a fit lifestyle changed your life?

This new lifestyle has allowed me to grow in all aspects of my life. My personal and professional life have been better than ever and it's because living a fit lifestyle gave me more confidence in difficult situations, taught me how to set and achieve both short- and long-term goals, and allowed me to develop a positive attitude. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the wonders it can do for your self-esteem and how contagious it can be to the people you surround yourself with—it's a win-win-win!

What was one of the most challenging aspects of your transformation and fitness journey?

One of the biggest challenges was the lack of support I received from people in the beginning. It is difficult enough finding the strength to believe in yourself—especially when you're low on self-esteem—but it seems to be an insurmountable challenge to overcome when you don't have a robust support system.

It wasn't like people deliberately sabotaged me or went out of their way to prevent me from achieving my goals, but I got the sense and feeling from people that I'd just give up, I was too small, I didn't have what it takes, or my efforts just wouldn't pay off!

The experience taught me such a great deal. It taught me to stick with the things that I'm passionate about despite what others may think. It taught me how to become and remain positive and it equipped me with the ability to tactfully and politely respond to people.

As I began to make progress, the things which started off as the biggest challenge became my biggest motivator and eventually people not only supported me but began to follow me and aspire to similar goals!

What piece of advice do you think is most important to share with others?

To keep it plain and simple—there is no shortcuts, easy way out, magic pill, or special secret. It takes time, consistency, perseverance, effort, patience, hard work, and the ability to keep believing in you!